Hay and grain stacker.



J. M. & J. A. HARVEY.

HAY AND GRAIN STACKER.

APPLICATION rum) NOV. 26, 1912.

HEET 1.

,4 TTOR/VEYS Patented 011. 20, 191+ J. M. 6: J. A. HARVEY. HAY AND GRAIN STAOKER. uruouxou nun 8017.26, 1912.

Patented Oct. 20, 1914.

4 BHEETS-SHEET 2.

um W085 7/,

WITNESSES ATTORNEYS J. M. & J. A. HARVEY. HAY AND GRAIN STAGKBR.

WITNESSES W- J. M. & J. A. HARVEY.

HAY AND GRAIN STAGKER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV 26, 1912.

1,1 1 3,988. Patented 00c. 20, 1914 4 SHEETS SHEBT 4.

ATTORNEYS UNITED STATIES PAiljE OFFICE,

JAMES M. HARVEY AND JOHN A. HARVEY, OF OGDEN, KANSAS.

HAY AND GRAIN STACKER.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, JAMES M. HARVEY and Jornv A. HARVEY, citizens of the United States, and residents of Ogden, in the county of Riley and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hay and Grain Stackers, of which the fol lowing is a specification.

Our invention relates to stackers for hay, grain, straw, leaves and the like, and pos sesscs quite a number of distinct advantages, being especially adapted for forming stacks of large size ,and being easily operated by aid of a minimum expenditure of labor.

Reference is made to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like letters indicate like parts.

Figure l is va plan view of our stacker complete; Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same: Fig. 3 is a detail showing in section the jointed platform for elevating, supporting, conveying and discharging the material to be stacked; Fig. 4 is a. detail showing in fragmentary perspective a portion of the jointed platform; Fig. 5 is a sideeleration showing the stacker complete as it would be seen from a pointat the left of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a plan view of the jointed platform; Fig. 7 is a perspective showing the vertically adjustable frame for virtually controlling the height of the stack; Fig. 8 is a detail. showing a trippinglever and parts associated therewith for practically controlling the hooks used in tilting or unloading the platform. Fig. 9 is a detail showing in perspective one of the parts appearing in Fig. 8.

Connected with a. number of longitudinal beams 10 are cross beams 11. these parts to gether forming a flat skeleton frame which is strengthened by truss rods 10. Mounted upon the cross beams 11 are bearings 12 through which attends a shaft 13 carrying wheels 14, .the latter engaging tracks 15 'which rest: upon the ground. or upon any suitable supporting surface. Extending upwardly from the edge of the frame are standards lt' --l7---l8- ltl. An engine 20 is supported by the frame and movable bodily therewith. This engine is provided with a driving pulley 21 and from this pulley a belt 22 extends to another pulley 23, the latter being mounted rigidly upon a rcvoluble shaft 24. This shaft i journaied Specification. of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 28, 1912.

Patented Oct.- "0, 1914..-

Serial No. 733,605.

in bearings 24 carried by the standards l61718-19.

At 25-26 are two pulleys mounted loosely upon the shaft 24, and at 2728 are two clutches for securing the pulleys rigidly in relation to the shaft- 24. A clutch fork is shown at 29 and is connected to both of the clutches. A lever 30 is connected with the fork 29 to enable the operator to control the clutches. Below the lever 30 and supported upon two of the cross beams 11 is a floor 31 upon which the operator stands.

A crossed belt 32 engages a pulley 26 and a pulley Another belt engages the pulley 25 and pulley 35; The pulleys 3t 35 are mounted rigidly upon a shaft 36. This shaft carries a gear pinion 37 which meshes with a gear wheel 38, the latter being mounted rigidly upon the shaft 13. Motion is transmitted from the shaft 2% to the shaft 13 and thence to the wheels 14, the direction of rotation of the latter being dependent upon the position of the clutch lever 30.

Mounted upon the shaft 24- is a sprocket gear 39 which engages a sprocket chain 40, the latter engaging a sprocket gear 41. This sprocket ll is mounted rigidly upon a shaft 42, the latter carrying a gear pinion 43, which meshes with a gear wheel 44. Connected rigidly with this gear Wheel is a hoisting drum 45. Upon the front of the machine is a small fork 46 which serves as a pilot for sweeping the scattered hay or other material from the adjacent track 15. This pilot is connected by a pivot 47 with the frame yoke, as will be understood from Fig. 5.

Extending upwardly from the frame 10 are beams or posts 49 spaced apart and braced by ties 4-8-50 and together with the latter constitute a vertically disposed slideway of considerable height. Connected with the upper portion of this slideway and ex-- t'ending obliquely downward therefrom to 57, at a point near the tripping member 77. Connected with the tripping member 77 and engaging the pulley 57 is a cord 77.. This cord also engages pulleys 77", 77 and 77?, and is secured to a lever 77; which controls the hoisting mechanism including the hoistinggdrum 4:5. I

rac ng rods -56 extend from the top of the sliding frame 53 to the rails 54: and serve to support the same at their outer ends. Extending across the rails 54 is a beam 57 which carries a plate 58, and extending obliquely from this 54 are a pair of brace ro s 58*. Revolubl Y mounted upon the beam 57 are grooved pu leys 59 and adjacent to these pulleys are.

other grooved pulleys 60. Located near the ends of the rails 54 are pulleys til-62. Engaging the pulleys 61 and 59 are cords 63. Cords (A engage the pulleys 60. and 62. The cords (3364 extend downwardly and are used in handling the. jointed platform, as hereinafter described. The cords 6364 are all conne ted with a cable 65 which extends over a drum 66 and downwardly from the latter" to the hoistingdrum, 415" above de scribed. The drum 66 is located} above the hoisting d'rum and'is. journale'd to rotate freely in a frame 67, .this frame being carried by the sliding frame 53, aswill be understood from Fig. 7-. I i l Therails 54 are supportedu on the un der side byrigid braces '68 w ioh extend obliquely upward from the verticalrfra-meabove described. h f'oiniited upon oneof the rails54 are twohooks .69 provided with upwardl extending ortions 70." These hooks are a apted toroc hand are provided with torsion springs 59* which normally tend to hold the hook's'fin. suchipositio'n that their lower ends extend slightly forward, that is,

, the entrance ofthe toward the frontof the'machine according to Fig. 1. Their purpose is to facilitate into the o "nings 90 when the load is to be discharge To-the upwardly projecting portions "(0 of the hooks are attached a pair at contraction-springs 69". The purposeqoffthese springs istoprovide means 'whorebyeither hook can be manipulated should it at a particular moment happen to be hanging free and the other hook'caught. These springs are connected to cords 71 which extend directly across andv are connected to bell crank levers 72, the latter being mounted upon pivot pins 73. A spring is shown at 74 (see Fig. l)rand tends'to hold the bell crank levers 72 in their normal retracted positions. A cord '75 extends from one of these bell cranklevers to the other and is connected to a, cord 76 which engages pulleys 7676 and is operated as hereinafter described for the purpose of manipulating the hooks 69. I

Mounted upon the cross beam 57 (see Figs.

late to the rails material.

owcr ends of the hooks 1 and 5) is a tripping member 77 having substantially the form of a. triangular sad die. This tripping member is movable relatively to the cross beam 57 and is connected to the same by a pivot 78. A turn-buckle 53*and guys 53-are' used forlbracing the vertical movable frame53, the guys and turn buckle being subjected to a tensile strain.

Another cord 77 is within reaclrofthe operator" standing upon the floor 31 and is. pulled by a hand in order'to actuate the Another-cord 77 is controlling lever 77. connected with the lever 7 7 and is used for. pulling by hand in a direction opposite to that in which it is pulled by the cord 77. \V hen the'lever 77 is pulled to the left,- according to Fig. l, the hoisting mechanism including the drum 4-5 is thrown out of action and whenever the lever 77 is shifted to the right, according' to Fig. l, by a pull upon the cord 77* the lioisting me'chanism is thrown into action. As the controlling lever 77 and connections whereby it controls the hoistin drum 45 are old and well 'known, we will not describe these parts in detaiL.

We will now describe the jointed platform used for -retainingtemporarily the material to be operated upon in order. to lift this material to the proper height and -todeposit it upon the stack. The-jointed platform-has generally theform shown in Fig .6. It cox'nprises a number of longitudinal sills or ribs 79 upon which the material to be operated upon may be raised-directly. In the present instance we employ-anumber of webs 80 of sheet-metal which extend from; sill to sill and'are useful for preventing the'dropping of fragmentary portions of hay or other p p The webs may be employed or not asdesired. The two outermost. sills are .ill own at81 and are provided with extendg portions 82. 'Thefront ends of the sills are secured to a bar 83 made in'twopieces supported by a truss rod 83". Mounted and connected upon this bar are straps 84. carrying clevises 85 towhi ch the cords G t-64; J

are attached. Abutting the webs 80am shorter webs 86, two of the latter being provided with openings 87. The webs 86 may be somewhat thicker than thewehs 80 the push rake as the latter is driven on to the jointed platform. Connected with the webs 86 are hinges 88 and secured to these hinges is a board 89 which is provided with slots 90. By aid of the hinges 88 the board :if desired. The openings 87 are for the purpose of temporarily receiving the wheels of I 89 can be tilted relatively to other parts of the jointed platform and may under suitable conditions assume the position indicated in Fig. 31

' T he degree of inclination which the board 7 89 may assume relatively to the general hori' zontal plangof the jointed platform is limited, however, by chains 82*, as indicated in Fig. 3. The board 89 is provided at its ends with extending portions 91 which carry rings 92 whereby the board and. adjacent portions of the jointed platform are normally sustained. Mounted upon a pivot pin 94 carried by one of the cross beams 11 is a lever 05. Connected with this level is a rod 96,- the latter being secured by a pivot connection 97 with one side of the cross beam 11, as indicated more particularly in Fig.8.

Separate from the other parts of the machine is a beam 98 which is supported upon feet 99 resting directly upon the ground, as indicated in Fig. 9. Connected with the beam 98 is another beam 100 which is beveled off at its outer or free end and is sli htly inclined. The beams 98-100 an feet 99 together constitute a type of horse which serves to some extent the purpose of a cam for raising and lowering the lever 95. The horse stands irectly upon the ground and is located at one corner of the machine. As the machine travels in one direction upon the tracks 15 the lever 95 i is at its outer end engaged by the upper surface of the beam 100 and thereb tilted. When however, the machine trave s in the opposite direction, the lever 95 first resting upon the beam 98 glides along the top surface of the beam 100 and is thus released from engagement with the horse.

For the purpose of raising and lowering the sliding frame 53 in order to adjust the height of the rails 54 and parts associated therewith from the ground, we provide pulleys 101-402 and cords 103, the pulleys 101 being secured upon the stationary frame word: and the pulleys 102 being connected with the bottom rail 53" of the sliding frame. A cord 104 (see Fig. 1) is connected with the cord 76 and isunder control of the operator who by pulling upon it can actuate the cord .76 independently of the lever 95.

The operation of our device is as follows: The machine is brought into its normal position, that is, facing toward the left, according to Fig. 6. The lever 95 now has its outer end raised and supported by the/beam 98, as will be understood from Fig. 8, so that the cord 76 is now drawn tight and as a conse uence the bell crank lever 72 (see Fig. 1) an the hooks 69 occupy their abnormal positions-the hooks being swung upwardly at their lower ends,-that is, to the right according to Fig. 5, and thus removed from the vertical path of travel of the fork. The 'ointed platform rests upon the ground, as indicated in Fig. 6. The hay or other material having been previously loaded upon a push rake propelled by horses, the push rake is driven out upon the jointed platform so that thewheels of therake enter the openlugs 87, indicated in Fig. 6. This insures precision in the position of the rake rela- Lively to the jointed platform. The rake is now backed off, that is moved to the right, according to Fig. (5, so as to leave the load of hay resting upon the jointed platform.

We find that in thus depositing materials upon the jointed platform such mat rials are arranged with more or less semblance toward system, the stlaws or stems lying crosswise of the sills of the platform. The rake being backed off and cleared of the platform, the operator standing upon the floor 31 pulls upon the cord 77' thereby shifting the position of the hoisting lever 77 and throiw ing the hoisting mechanism into action, the jointed platform beingt'raised vertically upward from the ground. In doing this the board 89 is tilted, as indicated in'Fig. Just before the jointed platform reaches the upper limit of its travel, the board 89 comes into engagement with the lower surface of the tripping member 77 and by tilting it upward pulls u on the cord 77". This cord pulls the lever to the left, according to Fig. 1, and by so doing throws the hoisting mechanism out of action so that the jointed platform is brought to a stop. The operator now moves the lever 30 so as to bring the clutch 27 into action. Power from the engine is now transmitted through the shaft '24. pulle 25, belt 33, pulley 35, shaft 36, gear memiicrs 37-438 and shaft 13 to the wheels 14. The-machine is thus pro-' pelled forwardly (to the left, according to Fig. 5) the track swecper'46 or pilot having a tendency to clear away any obstacles in front of the machine, or at least lying upon the adjacent rail '15. The-machine having traveled to the point where the operator desires the material operated upon to be deposited, the operator again moves the lever 30. By so doing he disengages the clutch 27 and thus disconnects the train of gearing including the wheels 14, so that the rotation of the shaft 24 is now unable to change the position of the machine.

The operator next pulls upon the cord 77' and in so doing shiftsv the lever 77, This starts the hoisting mechanism into action so that the fork is lowered. The books '69 are now hanging directly downwa rd and as thejointcd platform is lowered the books extend through the slots 90 and prevent the adjacent end of the jointed platform from descending farther. vThe opposite edge of the platform, to wit, the one at the left, according to Fig. 6, continues to descend, and -this causes the entire jointed platform to tilt so that the load of material carried by it glides off the jointed platform and on to the stack. The operator by aid of the cord .77 now brings the lever 77 to its normal position, thus stopping the hoisting mechanism. By pulling further upon the cord 71 he shifts the lever 77 and the hoisting mechanism is again thrown into action so abno mal position, and the hooks 69 beinghro\vii outwardly at their lower ends, as

indicated in Fig. 0 so as to clear the path of travel of the jointed platform. The jointed platform isnow lowered, and the process repeated, until the stack is built up to the desired height. i

'As will he understood from the foregoing description a. stack of very large size maly be formed, material being placed along it at an infinite number of points forming a, row parallel with the tracks. As the tracks can be easily moved and as the material can be deposited at practically any desired height,

i there is virtually no limit to the proportions which may be given to the stack. We find moreover that where the material operated upon consists of or eontains a large portion of stems, these stems are so arranged as to form a very effective thatchor rbdfing so that even if the stack remains unfinishedit is almost water proof.

It will be understood of course that while the machine is in operation the engine 2-0 is.

kept running constantly. It supplies power both for shifting the-position of the machine and for raising and lowering the jointed platform. 1 U

VVehave for convenience merely shown a typical form of the apparatus, but it should be understood that we are not limited to the prccise construction shown. As the lower ends of the cords 63-64- are easily disengaged from the jointed platform a sling or otherveguivalent for the jointed platform may bewngploved in its stead if desired.

:WB'j'dO not limit ourselves to the precise.

constr'uctioi fizshown, advarmtions may be made therein without departing from the spirit-'of o invention.

' W hatfive ola i-i as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. A stacker comprising an elevated supportiiig member, a; latforin provided with eplane portion anr with'a tilting portion movably connected with said plane portion, means for raising and lowering said platform, mechanism carried by said elevated supporting member for engaging said movable portion of said platform as to si1stain said in v'ahle portionon said platform,

and means fer lowering the portion of said The operator next shifts the lever said jointed platform.

platform ,opposite said movable portion thereof in order to tilt said platform.-

2. A. stacker comprising a traveling frainework,'.aii elevated supporting member carried thereby a platform movable relaing member and adapted to engage a por- .tion of said platform in order to cause said platform to tilt, and means'controllable by the travel of themachine for throwingsaid I 3. A stacker comprising a carriage, royided with wheels for on aging a trac a fral icwork mounted rigidg' upon said traveliii carriage and provided with, a vertical y "disposed slideway, a sliding frame ihounted in said-{slideway and carrying horizontal rails extending laterally to the line of travel of the carriage, means controllable at the will of the operator for adjusting the said sliding frame to different heights relatively to said framework, a jointed platform for holding the material. to be stacked, and a plurality of flexible connections supported by said horizontal rails and secured to said jointed platform, and mechanism controllable by the operator for virtually varying the length of said flexible connections in order to raise and lower 79; tively to said elevated supporting member, hooks mounted upon said elevated support hooks out of the path of travel of said fork.

4. A stacker comprising a traveling carriage restingupona track and movable rela: tively to the same, a framework mounted rigidly, upon said carriage and provided with a vertically disposed slideway, a slid ing frame mounted in said slideway and having horizontal rails extending at right angles to thegeneral path of travel of said carriage,- hoisting mechanism, a jointed platformmovable vertically by said hoisting meehanisnn and means common to said hoisting. mechanism and said carriage for actuating the same-either simultaneously or separately at the will of the operator.

5. A stacker comprising a traveling car riagc,v an elevated supporting mer'nbercarriod thereby,- hoisting mechanism, a iointed elevating platform movable vertica ward and from said elevated supporting member by means of StHd liOlSU-ng mecha nism, means common to said carriage and said hoisting mechanism for actuating the same so as totilt said platform in the genoral direction of the travelof the carriage and at points lateral to said path of travel of said carriage.

(l. A stacker comprising a track, a car riage resting uponsaid track and movable relatively to the same, a framework mounted rigidly upon said carriage and provided with a vertically disposed slideway, a sliding frame mounted in said slideway and rovided with rails extending horizontally in a direction latoral to the general path of travel of said carriage, a jointed filatform for handling the material to be stacked, said platform being movable vertically toward and from said rails, hoisting mechanisms connected with saidjointed platform, and a prime mover common to, said carriage and t to said hoisting mechanism' for actuating the 'same.

from the path of travel jointed platform forholding the material to be stacked, said platform being movable vertically toward and from said rails, hoist-. ing mechanism for said platform, and means controllable at the will tilting said eYlatform in the general direction of trav of the carriage and at oints of the carriage, a

of the operator for 7. A. stacker comprising a travelmg carlocated laterally to said gittll of trave ria e, a framework mounted rigidly upon JAMES' HARVEY. sai carriage and provided with a vertically JOHN A. HARVEY. glisposed shdeway, a slidingframe mounted Witnesses;

111 said slidway and provided with hori- HAnnY-BELI 'N, zontallvdisnosadvmils extendin luerallv' w Fox. 

